Chapter 40 Char Siu Pork, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall
The next day at the Luo family home, Luo Ping'an had just opened the wooden window when his personal servant, Lai Shou, came to close it, muttering, "The morning dew is heavy, and your body can't stand the cold. If you cough a few more times, Madam will say we haven't taken good care of you."
Lai Shou and Luo Ping'an were born on the same day, month, and year. The fortune teller said that they should find someone with a strong destiny. Madam Luo searched for several months before finally buying Lai Shou from a farmer's house. Lai Shou had ten older brothers and sisters. His parents were very capable of having many children, but they couldn't afford to raise them. They had originally planned to send Lai Shou away, but the Luo family needed him, so they agreed immediately.
"I'm not that delicate," Luo Ping'an said with a pale face and an awkward laugh. Seeing Luo Da come in, he thought of Qiao's Restaurant. "Have you found out why her family is short of money?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but I heard from the Qiao family's neighbors that Qiao's eldest son is getting married next year, but the family's house is too small for him to live in. That might be what's causing them trouble," Luo Dadao said.
Luo Ping'an hadn't left the manor for a long time. Recently, the most interesting things Luo Da brought were about Qiao's Food Shop. He was feeling cooped up at home and had read quite a few books, but it still wasn't quite what he was looking for.
"Go tell the Qiao family that I'm tired of the food at home and would like to invite Miss Qiao Wu to come over and cook dinner. Isn't her family short of money? If she can satisfy me, she'll reward me handsomely." Luo Ping'an's life was really too boring. He saw the same people in the mansion every day, so he had to find something interesting to do.
Luo Da hesitated, saying he needed to ask his wife. Adding one or two dishes on ordinary days was fine, but inviting someone to cook at home required his wife's permission.
"Go ahead, go ahead. If my mother doesn't agree, I won't have any appetite today." Luo Ping'an waved his hand, his sleeve slipping off his slender arm. He sighed and looked at the chessboard.
"This life is so boring," he thought to himself.
Luo Da went to see his wife. Knowing that her son had a bit of a temper, Madam Luo nodded in agreement, "Since Ping An brought it up, go and invite him over. As long as he takes his medicine and eats properly, this little thing can be left to him."
Mrs. Luo had two daughters before having this son, and she did not have any more children after that, so she cherished her son very much and kept a close eye on him.
Luo Da took the message to the market, and Qiao Mianmian was naturally willing to cook at her home, since she would be closing up shop in the afternoon anyway.
"I'll go after I close my stall. Is it a special day today?" Qiao Mianmian asked again. If it was a special day, she would need to prepare more.
"No, it's because my young master wants to find something to do. You know he rarely goes out." Luo Da then asked, "Yesterday I heard you say you were short of money, may I ask what it was about?"
Qiao Mianmian talked about buying the house, "This is something that can't be publicized. My neighbor only told my family about it because of our past relationship. If too many people know about it and someone comes to bid, my family won't be able to afford more money. It's not funny to say, but my family is still more than a hundred taels short of raising the money."
There's no rush. The Wu family gave her a month, and only a few days have passed. Qiao Mianmian can earn more money during this month, and if she still doesn't have enough, she can borrow from a money exchange.
Knowing what was going on, Luo Da ordered two bowls of braised pork and went back to the Luo family to deliver the message.
After noon, the number of customers gradually decreased. Qiao Mancang was also setting up his stall today. He helped clear away the dishes and chopsticks. "There are still some bones left that we can't sell. Do you want to take them to the Luo family?"
"Manager Luo said the Luo family has prepared some food, which we can keep for ourselves. Although we need to save money, we still need to eat. Money can always be earned, and we also need to take good care of our health." As Qiao Mianmian spoke, she blanched the chopped wild boar leg and then added rapeseed oil to sauté it.
Wild boar meat has a strong flavor, so you need to add spices to mask the taste. When the pig skin starts to curl up slightly, she adds soybean paste and spices and stir-fries them together until fragrant. Finally, she adds hot water and estimates that it will need to simmer for more than an hour. "Tell your mother that after an hour, you can poke the meat with chopsticks. If you can poke it in, it's cooked."
After tidying up, Qiao Mianmian called her older brother and went to the Luo family.
Tongluo Lane was home to wealthy families from Lin'an. The Luo family had a grand mansion with vermilion gates and high plaques. When the brother and sister arrived at the Luo family mansion, they had to wait for a servant to go in and deliver a message before Luo Da would come out.
"Let me take you to pay your respects to Madam first." Luo Da led the two through the front yard and then into the main hall to wait.
The Luo family was even larger than the Wang family. The two rows of potted plants in the courtyard alone highlighted the family's wealth and status, making them quite different from the Wang family.
After a while, Madam Luo came out. When she saw the Qiao siblings, if she hadn't heard from Luo Da that Qiao Wu was the head chef, she would have thought that Qiao Jiawang was the chef.
Seeing that Qiao Mianmian was not yet of marriageable age, the little girl had fair skin with a rosy glow, and bright black eyes. She smiled charmingly and was very likable. "She is indeed a clever person. Your cooking skills are quite good. Let Luo Da take you to the kitchen. Tell Luo Da if you need anything. It's up to you today."
"Thank you for your kind words, Madam. Do you have any dietary restrictions or preferences in your family?" Qiao Mianmian asked.
"My son can't eat cold or spicy food. You can cook whatever you want, it's just to make him happy anyway." Madam Luo didn't care much about Qiao Mianmian cooking, it was just that her son was bored at home and wanted to find something new to do.
Qiao Mianmian agreed and followed them to the Luo family's kitchen. On the way, Luo Da introduced them to the Luo family, saying that they not only had dried sea cucumbers and abalone, but also precious medicinal herbs such as cordyceps. She couldn't help but sigh, thinking to herself, "These wealthy families are really different; they're so rich."
Upon arriving at the kitchen, Qiao Mianmian remembered Madam Luo's instructions and decided to focus on Fujian and Cantonese cuisine today. She asked Luo Dana to bring dried goods such as sea cucumbers. Since there was no shark fin, she planned to make a simple and quick version of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.
These dried goods need to be steamed with cooking wine and old ginger first. During this time, the soup base is made by simmering pig's trotters and pig bones.
Soon, the aroma of the broth spread everywhere. Qiao Mianmian was using the back of a knife to chop the pork belly, which was to be used to make char siu.
Marinate the pork shoulder with cooking wine, honey, etc., and set aside for later use.
There weren't many members of the Luo family. Qiao Mianmian asked Luo Da, and he said that each meal consisted of either five dishes and a soup or four dishes and a soup.
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is time-consuming and laborious, so she chose simpler dishes for the others. Since it's lotus root season, she chopped minced meat and made lotus root sandwiches. Fresh river shrimp were deveined and pan-fried in oil to make braised river shrimp, which was fragrant and flavorful. Finally, she stir-fried a bowl of yam, making a total of four dishes and a soup.
Qiao Mianmian prepared the dishes, put the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall stew into the broth, and then started stir-frying the vegetables.
The first thing to make was char siu pork. The marinated char siu pork was pan-fried in oil. Because honey was added, as the meat sizzled, the sweet aroma of honey wafted out of the kitchen under the high temperature of cooking.
"Mianmian, is there anything else I need to do?" Qiao Jiawang's knife skills are very good now, and he is very good at washing and preparing vegetables.
"Just keep an eye on the fire in the stove for me." Qiao Mianmian flipped the char siu over. The meat, after being fried in oil, was a bright red and shiny, its surface glistening with oil, as clear and beautiful as glass.
The edges of the meat pieces were slightly charred. After the sauce was poured on again, the meat pieces were coated with a bright red color. Qiao Mianmian added hot water and cooked the meat pieces until they were fully cooked. Then she reduced the sauce over high heat.
The sweet aroma of char siu pork mixed with the savory flavor of the sauce made the mouths of those outside the kitchen water.
None of the Luo family's original cooks could smell what Qiao Mianmian was making.
At first, they didn't think much of it; it was just a small street vendor's food, and the young master was only trying it out for the novelty, and would get tired of it in a few days. But now, smelling the aroma, they all started to salivate.
What did she do?
"I don't know either, it smells really good, shall we go take a look?"
"That wouldn't be good. What if they think we're trying to steal their skills?"
"That's true, we'll find out soon enough. I didn't expect this young girl to be such a good cook. At first, I thought she was a... Oh, young master, what brings you to the kitchen?"
Luo Ping'an made a shushing gesture, "Why are you making such a fuss? I was just curious and came to take a look."
He pushed the door open and went in, looking at the busy figure in the kitchen. He peeked in and said, "You must be Miss Qiao Wu. May I come in?"
Qiao Mianmian was busy cooking. She quickly turned around and saw a rich young man with very fair skin, a bit thin, and a gentle smile. She thought to herself that this must be the young master of the Luo family.
"Sure, but the kitchen is quite smoky, and I'm afraid it might choke you. Just let me know if you need anything, you don't need to wait here." Qiao Mianmian took the char siu out, put it in a bowl to cool for a while before slicing it.
Each piece of char siu was cut a finger thick, and after being placed in a bowl, sauce kept dripping down. Luo Ping'an looked at it with curiosity and his mouth watered. "I'm fine, I just had nothing to do and came to see what this is?"
Qiao Mianmian answered with char siu pork, and seeing Luo Ping'an swallow his saliva, she cut off a piece and handed it to him, "Please try it, is the saltiness alright?"
The char siu pork was thick and plump, and the first taste was the sweetness of honey, followed by a savory aroma. The meat was extremely tender and juicy, yet still had a good chew. Luo Ping'an was instantly amazed and exclaimed, "Delicious!"
Just then, Lai Shou rushed over, "So you sent me to get the book so you could sneak here yourself. I can't stay here any longer, didn't you see how much smoke is coming from the kitchen?"
"Alright, alright, I'm not made of sugar. I'll only stay for a little while. How could I not stand it?" Luo Ping'an shook his head helplessly and asked Qiao Mianmian to cut another piece of char siu for Lai Shou to eat as well. "If you keep nagging like this, you'll turn into an old man. Eat quickly, and I'll go out after you finish."
Lai Shou had no choice but to swallow it quickly. However, the meat juices in his mouth burst out with the rich aroma of honey and soy sauce. He chewed it several times before reluctantly swallowing it.
After Luo Ping'an and his servant left, Qiao Mianmian sighed, "This young master Luo seems to have a very good temper."
Qiao Jiawang nodded in agreement, "When he came to my birthday celebration, his eyes were smiling, but his complexion wasn't very good; his face was too pale."
Qiao Mianmian thought that medical care was poor in ancient times, and Luo Ping'an was a premature baby. She imagined that it must have been very difficult for the Luo family to raise him, which is why they took such good care of him.
After letting her thoughts wander, she continued cooking. Once the braised river shrimp and stir-fried yam were done, the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup on the stove was also ready.
The thick broth was glistening with oil, which Qiao Mianmian skimmed off. The sea cucumber looked like black jade, and the abalone was plump and lustrous; they all looked delicious.
Unfortunately, this was someone else's dish, and the ingredients were too precious. Qiao Mianmian could only taste the soup, which was fresh and had a rich flavor. Indeed, expensive ingredients are different.
"Big brother, go and call the Luo family to serve the dishes." They didn't know the Luo family's rules for serving dishes. Wealthy families usually had people specifically assigned to serve dishes. Qiao Mianmian prepared the dishes and arranged them on plates. After all the dishes had been taken away, she and her older brother went to wait outside the kitchen.
Qiao Jiawang is not worried at all now. With his fifth sister taking action, the Luo family will definitely be satisfied.
Sure enough, after a while, Luo Da came over to tell them to come and collect their reward.
"Manager Luo, are Madam Luo and Master Luo satisfied?" Qiao Mianmian asked.
"They are very satisfied. Madam said she thought your dishes tasted like those from the market, but she didn't expect them to be so exquisite, and the presentation was just as good as those from a high-end restaurant." Luo laughed and led the way into the front hall, saying respectfully, "Master and Madam, the Qiao siblings have arrived."
Madam Luo glanced at Qiao Mianmian again, while the maid beside her handed Qiao Mianmian a reward. Madam Luo had just taken a sip of soup and knew that the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup had taken a lot of effort. "You, young lady, are quite good at cooking at such a young age. My Ping An likes your cooking, and I think it's good too. I heard from Luo Da that your family is in need of money. How about this, my family is going to hold an autumn banquet in a few days. If you can help me prepare it, I will lend you the money your family needs, without charging interest."
She hadn't originally planned to borrow money; it was her son who specifically brought it up, and seeing his happiness, she came up with this idea. After all, a little over a hundred taels of silver wasn't much to the Luo family; the most important thing was that her precious son was happy.
It wasn't a direct loan; rather, it was a test, essentially giving Qiao Mianmian a way out. Otherwise, since the two families had no prior relationship, the Qiao family wouldn't feel at ease lending money out of the blue.
Upon hearing Madam Luo's suggestion, Qiao Mianmian readily agreed, "Madam is so generous, I will certainly do my best." She held at least three taels of silver in her hand, indicating that Madam Luo was very willing to spend money to please Young Master Luo.
With this good news, Qiao Mianmian was all smiles on her way home. When she got home and told her, Lin was even more overjoyed, saying, "It's truly a blessing from heaven that our family has met such wonderful people!"
Lin couldn't stop smiling when she thought about how she could save a lot of interest by not having to borrow money from banks.
The others were also laughing. When Lu Zhao and his servant came in, they learned that the Qiao family was raising money to buy a house. Qingjiu immediately congratulated them.
"Don't stand, everyone sit down. The wild boar meat stew is ready, we can eat now," Zhang said, urging everyone to eat.
The wild boar broth was amber in color, and Qiao Mianmian added a lot of dried chili peppers. Just the smell alone made it very appetizing.
After being stewed for a long time, the wild boar meat became tender and flavorful, with a spicy and savory aroma. Qiao Mianmian was already hungry and ate two bowls of rice.
Qingjiu ate until his belly was round and he kept burping.
Lu Zhao also ate to his heart's content. When he heard that Qiao Mianmian was going to take charge of cooking at the Luo family, he wondered which Luo family it was and offered his congratulations.
Qiao Mianmian had been looking forward to the Luo family's autumn banquet for the past few days, and when the day of the banquet finally arrived, she took her older brother and sister to the Luo family early in the morning.
Actually, Mrs. Luo was just looking for an excuse to borrow money. As long as Qiao Mianmian didn't mess things up, she would lend her money.
Qiao Mianmian thought that if she didn't want interest, she should do her best. Since the Luo family was wealthy, she decided to do her best.
From the main dishes to the desserts, Qiao Mianmian put in her utmost care. After the banquet, when Madam Luo looked at Qiao Mianmian again, she appreciated her even more.
"Today's guests all praised your cooking, especially the desserts; many of them I've never tasted before." Madam Luo hosted this autumn banquet because her older sister was coming. She intended to strengthen the family ties with her sister's family through marriage and had also invited many wealthy families from Lin'an. Every guest present raved about today's feast.
"I'm glad you like it. If you need anything in the future, you can send someone to me. Once it's done, I'll have my brother deliver it." Qiao Mianmian looked at the IOU in front of her. Madam Luo was very generous and gave her a round number, lending her two hundred taels of silver.
For the Luo family, it was just a favor to the Qiao family; they didn't even expect the Qiao family to remember it, since two hundred taels of silver was really nothing to them.
Moreover, the more Madam Luo looked at the Qiao siblings, the more pleasing they became. At her age, she could tell at a glance whether someone was reliable or not. Since her son wanted to borrow the money, she would do him a favor and ask Qiao Mianmian to cook for her in the future.
Holding the silver notes, Qiao Mianmian was so excited she almost jumped for joy. After thanking Madam Luo repeatedly, she and her older brother and sister left the Luo family home, and then happily jumped up and down twice, "Big brother and fourth sister, we have enough money!"
Qiao Jiawang and Lin Xiahe were also laughing. The three siblings wanted to get home as quickly as possible, so they walked very fast.
When they arrived home, Qiao Mianmian couldn't wait to share her joy. Seeing that only her grandparents were in the front hall, she spoke first, then asked, "Where's my mother?"
“She’s inside.” Zhang nodded. “Your eldest uncle came by and said that when your mother went back last time, he really didn’t have any money. Now that he’s sold the autumn harvest grain and is going into town with the grain cart, he specially brought ten taels of silver for your mother. Your mother has been inside since your eldest uncle left.”
As she spoke, Zhang sighed. Ten taels of silver wasn't much, but it represented a whole year's income for the Lin family's eldest branch after deducting their food rations.
Qiao Mianmian looked into the house, thinking that her mother must be feeling sad right now. "I'll go and see her."
She knocked on the door first, then pushed it open and went in. "Mom, did you hear that? We have enough money now."
"With your loud voice, how could I not hear you?" Madam Lin was sewing shoe soles. Knowing that it was her youngest daughter who came in, she didn't look up, afraid that her daughter would see her red eyes.
"Just smile when you hear that." Qiao Mianmian placed the IOU and banknotes on the table. "Our family still has plenty of money. When you go back, pay back the money to the villagers and your uncles first."
Neither of her uncles were wealthy; the money they borrowed was the result of their own hard-earned savings. Even a single penny was extremely important, and the Luo family's money could be repaid later.
Looking at the money on the table, Lin pouted and said, "It would have been better if you had come back sooner."
She didn't mean to blame him, but her heart ached. "Your uncle definitely wouldn't want to take a ride; he'd walk back, and it would be dark by the time he got home. Your aunt even scolded him for it. I told him I didn't blame him, and I believe he doesn't have the money. Why did he go out of his way to send money? It makes me feel really bad!"
"This shows that your eldest uncle cares about you." Qiao Mianmian hugged Lin's arm. "Think about it, both your eldest and second uncles care about you. Isn't that a wonderful thing? Other families may not have such a good sibling relationship. Next time you go back, bring some braised food with you. Don't be stingy this time, bring more."
"Get out of here, you're teasing your mother again!" Madam Lin nudged her youngest daughter, but she couldn't push her away. However, she felt much better after saying what was on her mind.
With the two hundred taels of silver borrowed from the Luo family, she had a total of nine hundred and ninety taels of silver, enough not only to buy the Wu family mansion but also to purchase some additional furniture. However, given Lin's frugality, everything except for what Qiao Jiawang needed for his wedding would be kept simple.
"How could I dare to tease you?" Qiao Mianmian coaxed her. "You are my dearest person, and I like you the most."
Lin was amused. "Don't give me that. I don't know who you take after. You're always saying nice things. Go tell your father that I need to sort out the money. Just in case something goes wrong, let's go to the Wu family now."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
